The invention relates to power transmission devices, and more particularly to a transmission device capable of infinitely changing ratios and reversing rotation without disengaging and shifting gears.
Power transmission devices including a rotatable carrier member supporting a counter shaft for providing two different output shaft speeds are well known in the transmission art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 602,253. The counter shaft on the carrier member usually includes a gear enmeshed with a gear on the input shaft and another gear enmeshed with a gear on the output shaft. Means are provided for engaging the carrier member for direct rotation with the input shaft, thereby driving the output shaft along with the carrier and the input shaft, or for restraining the carrier member against rotation, thereby driving the output shaft at a different speed from the input shaft. When the carrier member is neither driven or restrained, a non-driving or neutral mode is established. While such transmissions are useful for providing two output speeds, such as in an overdrive for a vehicle, they are limited to such uses and cannot provide variable speeds, reverse speeds or change ratios as does the present invention described below.